The scientific approaches in maintaining quality and safety of fruit and vegetables during the storage. International practices. Part 1

Researchers perform a thorough search and develop new storage methods. Some of them are put into practice: storage in gas modified environments, in the context of active ventilation, increase in and maintenance of moisture and temperature conditions in a warehouse, ozone treatment of the warehouse, etc. The article presents the research results of Russian and foreign scholars in the field of enabling technologies for maintaining quality of fruit and vegetables during the storage. Based on the data given in the public media there is a collection of advanced technologies, in particular, ionizing radiation, thermal influence, nanocomposite films and ultrasonic effect. The researchers of Texas University have proved that the irradiation efficiency for fresh fruit and vegetables requires not only a relevant irradiation source, but also innovative packaging systems, which can ensure radiosensibility to improve product safety without deteriorating their organoleptic characteristics. The optimal modes of broccoli irradiation are: an accelerator 10 MeV, using the configuration with a double beam (upper and lower impact). In this case the product has 132.5 degrees between the beams, and each entrance dose makes up 0.71 kGy (Gy is a measuring unit of absorbed dose. 1 Gray = 100 rad). The researchers have revealed that the best conditions for keeping fruit and vegetables are achieved by creating temperatures that are close to cryoscopic ones. However, to exclude freezing of a product during the storage special temperature reserves until the point of water-ice transition are required. The ultrasonic treatment is quite promising, as it makes it possible to create a special environment in the food system. In case of insignificant change of acidity the water is electrolyzed. This water can be effectively applied for potato processing. Thus, the obtained environmentally friendly antimicrobial agent helps to improve the microbiological safety of potato during the storage.